Mood disorder is a group of several diagnoses in the statistical manual and diagnostic of mental disorders. A mood disorder is therefore a temporary state of mind or feeling which generally suggest ‘being in an appalling mood’. There are many types of disorders and in all of them, people experience changes in their moods. Major mood disorders include mania and major depression and milder versions of each one of them. Mood disorders are not the usual occasional blues or the ups-and-downs rather; they basically are forms of chemical imbalances which result for various environmental or biological reasons.
Schizophrenia
Bipolar and schizophrenia disorders are the most common, distressing and disruptive disorders. Although they are similar in a number of ways including characteristics and symptoms, they are both medicated and treated differently. Schizophrenia for instance is arguably the most devastating diagnosed mental health disorder. It is found to emerge among adolescents although it can also be diagnosed in the male gender in 15-26. It is observed that both female and male are equally affected and among women, diagnosis seems to occur between 26-30 years of age. Doctors depict that schizophrenia builds up when a number of factors act together. Precisely, when brain trauma at birth combines with genetic influence, stress, and social isolation occur at that point, a person is greatly at risk of acquiring schizophrenia. Of the world’s population, schizophrenia affects between one and two percent persons at one point in their lives (Strakowski, 2012, p. 78).
Schizophrenia is arguably not a personality split. Persons suffering from this disease have an extremely different perception of reality. They actually suffer from frightening inner voices that others cannot hear, they even think that people around them are controlling their thoughts, reading their mind or probably trying to control them. The world they live in is distorted by delusions and hallucinations. Their behavior and speech is very much unsystematic and disorganized and are other people find them too frightening. Often, they are detached, distant, very fidgety and restless and are preoccupied too. Amazingly, these people do not have these symptoms all the time. Psychotic episodes seemingly occur at a point when a person all of a sudden starts suffering one or more symptoms. However, this disorder can be controlled with proper treatment and medication and the individual can heal and live a normal and productive life.
Bipolar disorder
Bipolar disorder occurs when a person is in their late teens to mid 20’s. There two distinctive forms of this disorder; Bipolar I and II. Bipolar I disorder that was previously known as the maniac depression is exemplified by one episode of depression, mania or rather a combination of the two (Books, 2011, p. 112). Mania is commonly illustrated as an individual’s mood being irritable or elated. Persons have inflated self-confidence, racing thoughts, reckless driving, excessive driving and impulse travelling. To diagnose mania, no duration of the illness is required while for the diagnosis of depression, persons must show signs and have symptoms for close to two weeks. Like schizophrenia, bipolar I impacts women and men equally occurring in about one percent of the population. Women suffer more depressive episodes compared to men. Episodes of illnesses are generally followed by wellness periods which could be quite long even exceeding one year.
Bipolar II disorder on the other hand is quite common among women. It is characterized by depressive episodes. As a recurring illness, an average person may experience ten episodes or more. Others experience chronic depression. Fifteen to twenty percent of persons diagnosed with bipolar experience speedy cycling which is equivalent to 4 or more episodes of depression or mania or even both on 1 year. Like schizophrenia, bipolar disorder is also a mental illness which can be controlled with medication (Stahl, 2008, p. 145). With continued medication treatment of bipolar disorder can be a success. For instance, persons taking anti-depressants, mood stabilizers and anti-psychotic medications are found to get better while others get cured. Symptoms of this disorder are being controlled which makes life quite manageable. Persons who stop taking medication have significant effects and suffer a relapse within 2 years.
References
Strakowski, S. M. (2012). The bipolar brain: Integrating neuroimaging and genetics. New York: Oxford University Press.
Books LLC. (2011). Disability. Memphis, [Tenn.: Books LLC.
Stahl, S. M., & Stahl, S. M. (2008). Depression and bipolar disorder: Stahl's essential psychopharmacology. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
